Sheet-alining mechanism.



L. C. STEELE.

SHEET ALINING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 191a.

Patented Apr, 20, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. C. STEELE.

SHEET ALINING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.l,1913.

Patented Apr 20, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

E i Q Q I :1: 3% Q I I N I a I L. C. STEELE.

SHEET ALINING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV; 1. 1913.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

SHEET-ALINING MECHANISM.

Application filed November 1, 1913.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that T, LAWRENCE C. STEELE, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Alining Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for straightening or matching the edges of a sheet or pack of sheets of metal or other material.

The object of the invention is to provide mechanism for straightening or matching the edges of a sheet or pack of sheets, so that the edges of all the sheets will be parallel, or to aline them with devices for operating upon the sheets, such as folding or shearing devices.

While the invention is capable of wide application it is particularly designed for use in connection with doubling mechanism for doubling or folding packs in the manufacture of sheet metal, but may be used in any'case where'it is desired to straighten a sheet or match the edges of a pack of sheets.

The invention consists, broadly speaking, in side and end matching devices so interconnected and arranged as to simultaneously act upon all four edges ofthe sheet or packand simultaneously straighten or match it from all four directions. i

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view of a machine embodying the invention, parts of the doubling mechanism being omitted; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

In the drawings 1 represents a pair of folding or doubling members which are hinged together, and in one position, shown in Fig. 1, form a flat table with its surface at'the fioor' level, the main portion of the machine lying below the floor level. Said members are-pivotally supported. upon arms 2 which are pivoted to supports 3 on the bed plate 4:. The arms 2 are connected to the folding members 1 outwardly from the rod 5 to which they are pivoted, and said members are caused to fold or swing toward and from each other by suitable operating mechanism (not shown) connected to the rod 5 for raising andlowering the same.

6 designates a divider and holding member, which is. provided with suitable operating mechanism for causing it to come down on top of and across the middle of the sheet Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. so, rear Serial NO. 793,744,

or pack, just before the doubling members begin to fold toward each other. It acts to hold the pack down upon the doubling members and also as a divider for assisting in folding the pack. The operating mecha nlsm also raises the divider from the pack ust before the doubling members reach the limit of their downward movement and before the doubling operation is completed. The doubling mechanism so far described may be of any suitable construction, but preferably is substantially the same as that shown in my prior patent for doubling mechanism granted March 15th, 1910, No. 952,052, and. therefore requires no further description.

Tn folding or doubling sheets or packs, or shearing the same, it is important to aline the sheet or pack upon the table with its edges exactly parallel and transverse to the length of the folding device or to the shearing blade. For this purpose the present machine is provided with both side and end matching devices for matching the sheet or pack in both directions. The side matching devices are indicated at 10. They comprise members 11 having their upper end portions projecting above the level. of the table. Said members are pivoted at 13 to carriers 14 having small rollers 15 traveling along a track or runway 16, shown as-a bar rigidly secured at its opposite ends to the main frame. The lower end \portions 17 of members 11 embrace the track 16 and are made heavier than the upper ends 10 thereof, so that normally the latter always projectabove the table. The carriers 14.- are provided; with side pins or projections 18 working in slots in thearms of a yoke 20 embracing said carriers and which yokes are carried, on the upper ends of levers 21.

Any number of side matching devices may be. used, in accordance with the size of the machine and the length of the pack or sheet to be doubled thereon. lln the ma-' chine shownv there are four matching devices, two on each side of the sheet. The four levers 21 carrying thev matching devices are fixedly secured to shafts 22 journaled in projections 23 on the supports 3.

Suitable means is provided for causing the side matching devices along both edges of, I

the sheet or pack to operate in unison. lln Fig. 3 this. means comprises a link 24 pivotally connected at one end, as at 25, to an arm 26 on one of the levers 21, and at its other end, as at 27, to an arm 28 rigidly connected to the shaft 22 carrying the other pair of levers. Pivots 25 and 27 are located at exactly the same distance from their respective shafts 22, but one is above and one is below the same. Consequently, when one lever 21 is swung in one direction by its shaft 22 the levers on the other shaft 22 swiifg in the opposite direction. The con-' nection is also a positive one so that movement of either shaft 22 or of any lever moves all four of the side matching devices.

The end matching devices are indicated at 30, said devices comprising pivoted members having heavy lower end portions 31 and upper end portions32 projecting above the table level. One of said members is carried by a lever 34 rigidly connected to a shaft 35 journaled in lugs 36 on the main frame. The other member 30 is carried on the upper end of a lever 37 rotatably mounted on a shaft 38 journaled in lugs on the frame. Shaft 38 has rigidly secured thereto a lever 39 provided at its upper end with a yoke 40, the arms of which are pro' vided with longitudinal slots 41 to receive a pin 42 which may be placed in any one of the notches 43 in a toothed segment 44 rigidly attached to or forming apart of lever 37. l 1

The levers carrying the end matching devices are connected to operate in unison in the same manner as the levers carrying the side matching devices. As shown the connecting means therebetween comprises a link 45 pivotally connected at one end, as at 46,

to an arm 47 rigidly secured to the shaft 35,-

and at its other end, as at 48, to an arm 49 rigidly attached to shaft 38. The pivots 46 and 48 are located at the same distance from their respective shafts 35 and 38, but one of said pivots is above its shaft and the other below, so that the levers 34 and 37 always move in opposite directions.

The side and end matching devices may be operated independently of each other, so that the sheet or pack can be straightened in either direction alone, or in both separately. .Prefcrably however, means is provided whereby the sheet or pack can be straightened in bothdirections simultane ously, and by the operation of a single device, such as an operating handle. As shown the operating lever or handle 50, which projects above the floor level, is journaled upon one of the shafts carrying the levers to which the matching devices are connected, such as the shaft 35. Connected to said lever, as'by link 51, is a sheave or pulley 52 around which passes a flexible operating member 53, such as a band, belt, chain, cable, or the-like. One end portion or strand 53 of the member 53 is connected to operate the side matching devices, while the other end or strand 53 is connected to operate the end matching devices. In the arrangement shown, where lever 50 is pivoted on the shaft 35 one end 53 of the member 53 passes directly across the machine, and may be con- 7 nected directly to arm 39, but is shown as connected to an arm 54, rigid with the shaft 38. The other end portion 53 of the member 53 passes around a sheave or pulley 55 and then in a direction at right angles to itself, and is connected directly to one of the levers 21.

In use of the machine the sheet or pack is laid or placed on the table in substantially the proper osition. If it is a single sheet, it may be slightly out of line, so that if folded at its middle the two layers would not be superposed directly upon each other. If it is a pack the separate sheets may not have their sheets parallel, and it may also be askew as a whole upon the table. The lever 50 is now swung to the left in Fig. 2 thereby placing both end portions 53, 53 of the cable '53 under tension. One end pulls on arm 54 and swings shaft 38 to the left in Fig. 2. Shafts 38 and 35 are interconnected by links 45 and levers 39 and 34 move toward each other, lever 39 dragging lever 37 after it. The end matching devices strike the ends of the pack and straighten it up endwise. If it has been placed a little too near one end of the table it will be shifted endwise thereon to the center of the table By the end matching device which strikes it rst.

In some cases one end of the sheet or pack has a rough edge, which may curve either inwardly or outwardly toward the center of the sheet. The adjustment between levers 39 and 37 before described allows one of the end matching devices to be adjusted with reference to the other to compensate for unevenness, so that advantage can be taken of all perfect portions of the sheet or pack without undue waste of material in the shearing or trimming operationf The other end portion 53 of the cable 53, which passes around the sheave or pulley 55, exerts tension on one of the levers 21. The two pairs of levers 21, on the oppositely disposed shafts 22, are interconnected by link 24 so that all of the side matching devices move simultaneously toward the center of the machine. The sheet or pack is consequently straightened sidewise, so that its side edges are normal to the divider or folding device 6, and when the latter comes down on the sheet or pack the two end portions thereof will be superposed exactly on each other.

It will be observed that a sheet or pack is matched or straightened on the table in both directions irrespective of its relative dimensions in different directions. due to the flexible character of the o crating mechanism for simultaneously moving both This is matur the end and side matching devices and the tact that the set of matching devices which first engages the sheet becomes a fulcrum or fixed point of purchase for further movement of the operating member to adjust the other set ofmatching devices and straighten the sheet in the other direction. Lever is ulled over until all of the matching devices "iave' engaged the edges of the sheet, at which time the sheet hes centrally disposed over the folding members with its edges parallel and normal to the divider 6. If the sheet is small, lever 50 must be swung tarther in the operating directions than if the sheet is large.

The heavy lower end portions 31 of the end matching devices 30 are on the sides of the levers 34 and 37, away from the center of the machine. Consequently, when the levers move toward each other the matching devices 30 become in eflect rigid portions of said levers with their inner edges substantially vertical or normal to the table surface, when the levers move over their normal operating range. The projecting upper ends of the matching devices 30, however, can be swung toward the center of the machine, thereby enabling a sheet or pack to be slid upon the table from either endwithout lifting it over the matching device. The latter merely sinks into the table and when the sheet has passed thereby, the weighted lower end causes it to again rise to normal position. The same is true of the side matching devices, the lower ends of which engage the outer faces of the carriers 14, but the upper ends of which can be swung toward the center of the machine by a sheet or pack passing thereover.

The construction described is quite simple and reduces the number of operating levers on the machine. All of the matching devices, both side and end, are operated by a single lever to match the pack perfectly in both directions irrespective of its size. Moreover, the relative adjustment between the end matching devices prevents undue waste-of metal in the'shearing operation. The invention can be used alone or can be applied to any type of folding or doubling machine, not being restricted to that shown or described. It can alsobe applied to shearing machines for straightening the sheet or pack with respect to the shears.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for-operating upon sheets. the combination with a table, of two sets of matching devices arranged to straighten a sheet upon the table in two directions, each set comprising members movable toward and from each other, and a single flexible means for operating all of said members, the members of one set being adjustable with reference to each other.

2. in a machine for operating upon sheets,

matching devices arranged to straighten a' sheet upon the table in two directions, each set comprising interconnected members mov able toward and from each other, a movable operatmg member carrying a sheave, and a flexlble member passing over said sheave and having portions connected to both of said sets of devices for adjusting the same.

4:. In a machine for operating upon sheets, the combination with a table, of matching devices movable toward and from each other for adjusting the sheet upon the table, piv- "oted levers carrying said members, and connections between said levers arranged so that they oscillate toward and from each other, one of said levers being adjustable around its pivot for adjusting the matching devices with reference to each other.

5. In a machine for operating upon sheets, the combination with a table, of a plurality of sets of matching devices arranged to straighten a sheet upon the table in different directions, eachset comprising interconnected members movable toward and from each other, a movable operating member, and a flexible member having a loop or fold connected to said operating member, portions thereof being connected to said sets of matching devices for operating the same. i

' 6. In a machine for operating upon sheets, means for straightening a sheet or pack, comprising a side matching device, an end matching device, a single movable operating member, and connections between said memberand said devices, said connections being so arranged that after one of said devices engages the sheet or pack it becomes a fulcrum for the operating member to further adjust the other of said devices.

7. In a machine for operating upon sheets, means *for straightening a sheet or pack, com rising a side matching device, an end matc ing device, asingle movable operating member, and connections between said member and said devices, said connections being so constructed and arranged that after either of said devices engages the sheet or pack it becomes a fulcrum for the operating member to further adjust the other of said devices.

8. ln a machine for operating upon sheets, means for straightening. a sheet or pack, comprising a set of inter-connected side matching devices, a set of inter-connected end matching devices, a single movable operating member, and connections between said member and said sets of matching de vices, said connections being so arranged that after the matching devices of one set engage the sheet they become a fulcrum for the operating member to further adjust the other of said matching devices.

9. In a machine for operating upon sheets, means for straightening a sheet or pack, comprising a set of inter-connected side matching devices, a set of inter-connected end matching devices, a single movable operating member, and connections between said member and said sets of matching devices, said connections being so arranged that after the matching devices of either set engage the sheet or pack they become a ful- LAWRENCE C. STEELE.

Witnesses:

ELBERT L. HYDE, WILLIAM B. WHARTON. 

